fear cuts deep
by AtLoLevad
Summary: Ziva calls Tony and tells him to bring Tali to a safe location. Missing scene from 17x10


It's after midnight when his phone vibrates on the night table. He fumbles for it and slides the answer bar with his eyes still closed.

"'Lo?" he says, voice low and raspy from sleep.

The voice on the other end is entirely unexpected.

"Tony?"

And just like that, Tony's wide awake. He sits up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Ziva?" his voice is high and anxious. There has to be a reason - likely a bad one - for her call. They've been out of contact since Cairo, even though he wants to call her every day.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry, but you need to take Tali and go," her words jumble together in an emotional rush, palpable fear and anxiety in her tone. He can almost picture the furrow between her brows, the way her fingers worry at the necklace she wears.

"Ziva, what? What's going on?" his heart kicks into gear, thudding painfully in his chest. It's been seven weeks since the mysterious voicemail from Gibbs and while he suspected the call may have had something to do with Ziva, it was never confirmed. Neither man mentioned the voicemail when they last spoke and again, it's been more than three years since his last contact with Ziva.

She chokes out a sigh on the other end of the line. "I cannot explain now, Tony. But you need to take her and go. Someplace safe, _please_," her voice cracks and Tony's shatters.

It's bad.

Whatever it is, it's bad.

His gut clenches and he just wants her with him - with them - safe.

"I'll do it, you know I will," he promises. "Ziva, are you okay? Are you safe?"

"Do not tell me where you are, but contact me when you get there," she replies and it doesn't escape Tony's notice that she doesn't answer either of his questions. His body feels like ice and he swallows down the anxiety that rises at the urgency in her tone.

"I will," he says and he knows the call is probably already too long for her liking, but he can't help himself. "If you're not already with him, let Gibbs help, Ziva. Let the team help you come home. _Please." _His own voice cracks, "I love you."

Her voice is softer and less anxious when she returns with an "I love you, too."

The line goes dead and Tony's heart keeps pounding in his chest. He sits on the bed, stunned for a few beats before he jumps into action. He jumps into a discarded pair of jeans and pulls a sweatshirt over his head. A duffel bag is grabbed from his closet and a few things are thrown in - clothes, laptop, some photos. He doesn't know when - if - they'll be back to this apartment, so he grabs what's important. Passports, cash, and other various documents her tossed in to the bag too.

His fingers fumble over the small gun safe hidden in the bottom of his closet. He doesn't want to have to bring it along, not with Tali, but if her safety is in question, Tony is going to arm himself to the teeth to protect her.

Tali's fast asleep in her room, so Tony rummages around in the dark, packing her things into the same duffel. Travel light, he reminds himself, shoving a pair of small pink sneakers into the bag. Tali's got Kalev clutched in her grip, so he makes a mental note to grab the stuffed toy when he takes her.

He thinks about Ziva, about the trouble she must be in for her to have made that call. All he wants is to hop a plane and be with her, to have her back. But Tali's more important right now and he can only hope that she's with Gibbs and McGee and the team will protect her while he can't.

Tony shoves a few granola bars and snacks into the duffel bag and snatches two refillable water bottles off of the top shelf. He wishes he had a go-bag already packed. He wishes they didn't live in a world where having a go-bag packed might be necessary. He wishes things were normal.

But they're not and he stops to take inventory of what he's packed. It seems like enough and whatever he forgets, they can buy. The bag gets dropped by the front door while Tony pulls out the laptop to buy plane tickets. It's not as stealth as Ziva would have probably liked, but he's working with what he's got. There are four safe houses in Europe that he knows of and picks one at random.

Greece.

Looks like he and Tali are about to enjoy a lot of baklava.

With tickets purchased and a line dropped to one of his contacts, Tony stashes the computer again and goes to wake Tali up.

"Hey, munchkin," he rubs her back gently, trying to ease her into wakefulness, "gotta get up for me, okay?"

She grunts and swats at his hands. Tony breathes a laugh through his nose - unfortunately this is a trait she's inherited from both of her parents. He runs a hand through her hair and kisses her forehead. "Tali, baby, come on, we're going on an adventure," he tries to keep the fear and anxiety from seeping into his tone and he thinks he mostly succeeds.

Tali blinks sleepily, rubbing at her eyes. "Daddy?" she's confused and Tony hates that he's doing this to her.

"Yeah, kiddo, it's time for an adventure," he tries to sound upbeat and pulls her into a sitting position so he can tug a sweatshirt over her curls. Kalev gets tangled in the fabric, so Tony snatches him and tucks the stuffed toy under his arm. He holds out his arms and Tali climbs into them, tucking her face against his neck.

It'll never get old, Tony thinks, having his daughter curled close to him, her warm body a solid, founding presence in his arms and the scent of her favorite peach shampoo filling his nose. He takes a minute to press a kiss to the top of her head, lingering there.

"I've got you," he murmurs into her hair. Her arms tighten around his neck and Tony swallows heavily. The weight of responsibility is suddenly heavier and, not for the first time, he wishes Ziva were around to share the burden.

He knows Tali will be fine on the plane and will settle into hiding just fine. She's adaptable, their daughter, and tough as nails.

He just hopes Ziva's okay and that whatever she's doing is done soon.

It's been long enough without her and he wants to start a life with her.

He just wants them to be together again, like in Cairo, even though that had been too brief a reunion for his liking.

But for now, all he's going to do is keep their daughter safe for Ziva's return.

* * *

_a/n: hah this episode was a lot! and i fully want fics about cairo! i have no idea what to expect for the jan. 7 episode, so at this point, i'm just along for the ride. enjoy this fic and come let me know what you think!_


End file.
